I'm a believer in the mask now!

[starsnuffer]

I disagree that attitudes take time to change.

Flip positions for a moment. You're a kid on a softball team, you complain to the coach that you're not getting the playing time you want, and ask the coach what you need to do more. Coach is standoffish and doesn't give any real reason. It isn't your pitching, your throwing, your hitting, or your skills. A few more weeks go by of the same conversation. Finally the coach approaches the parent and says, "you know, it's her attitude", she seems like she doesn't want to be there, she has a pissy look on her face, doesn't look me in the eye when I'm talking to her, ect.

So, the player now knows what she has to work on to get more playing time. The solution here is to ACT like she's happy (even if she isn't), look the coach in the eyes when he's talking (even if she doesn't agree) and say "okay Coach, thank you Coach", and appear as if she has a passion and a fire to play, even if she's feeling that she has no no place on the team and her self confidence is in the gutter.

Why? Actions define who we are, not thoughts and feelings.

I reference the above because that is exactly what happened to one of my own daughters. She finally was told what was wrong, and we discussed it, came up with a plan to fix it, she executed the plan, and not only did she get way more playing time but she ended up a happier person and developed an important life skill to go along with it.

Anyone who believes attitudes take time to change is simply unwilling to try. Unwilling is far different then unable. An unwilling to change person is no better then that number 9 batter who stands in the box like a statue hoping to get walked. I don't appreciate those kids, and I don't appreciate those coaches.

-W

 

[SoCalASABlue]

Unfortunately when you've got softball "icons" like Stacy Nuveman (assistant coach at San Diego State, guest commentator at WCWS) strongly implying on national TV last year that players who wear masks (fielding or batting helmet) are weak, the stigma is far from over.

I would invite people like Nuveman (she was a catcher, right?) and the male badasses who think masks imply weakness (and it is usually men, not women) to catch or umpire a game without protective equipment. Funny how that never comes up as a subject when talking about protective masks.

The hardest hit to my body I have ever experienced as an umpire came on a uncaught foul tip off one of those $300 rocket launchers in a 10U game - thank God for the chest protector and even with that it took several seconds (seemed like hours) to catch my breath.

I believe it was Starsnuffer that said changes to the bats are the real solution - but we know that's not going to happen. Until that happens (not holding my breath), my DD will NOT pitch without a mask. When she is an adult like Lozza, she can make her own decision about it (and I'll keep the medical insurance paid up just in case).

And as I have stated ad nauseaum on this and other sites, I don't mind if parents don't want their DDs to wear a mask...I hope it works out and nothing ever happens...but I will never understand why someone else's DD wearing a mask bothers them.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I guess that would be easy for Stacy Nuveman to say, she wore a catchers mask all of her career. Geez.

 

[CoachFP]

If it makes you a better player then wear a mask. Who cares what Stacey Nuvemen or anyone else thinks. At minimum they should have mouth pieces in place anyway. I remember back in the day when no one wore batting helmets. I wouldn't go to the plate without one now.

 

[quincy]

If it makes you a better player then wear a mask.

In my opinion it is not about being a better Player, it is about DD’s safety. Haven’t tested it yet but getting plucked in the face mask cannot be a good feeling that the Player is going to repeat it and start stopping the ball with their mask. I have seen no difference in DD’s play wearing a mask or not, it does not make her feel more confident in the field because she has a mask on.

 

[Rooster98]

In a game last summer a girl on my team hit a screaming line drive right at the pitcher. She had no time to react. Hit her square in the mask. First her legs buckled then she fell face first onto the ground. She was knocked out cold. Imagine what could of happened if she was not wearing a mask. Good for the girl she only had a concusion, but geez.....wear a mask.

I know with me just dropping over $5,000.00 on braces if a coach told my dd not to wear one, I would pull her right there..... the bill would also be going to him.

 

[3'sDad]

The DD has been wearing a mask for going on 2 years. She's the only one on her 14U team to wear one; which she'll use when either pitching or taking ground balls in the IF. She is predominantly an outfielder and won't wear it when in CF inless they are playing in a rockpile.

As short note on batting helmet cages. When she moved up to 12U, I insisted her helmet be equipped with a cage to protect her face from foul balls off bunts. Moan, complain. On the 5th pitch with the cage installed on the helmet she bunted one foul and off the mask. Without the mask it was a broken nose at minimum, if not new orthodontics. Never heard another word about it again.

 

[02Crush]

Well if DD is good enough they will make an "Exception". I think if Finch, Abbot or
Smith wanted to wear a mask the coaches would be OK with that.

I think it is gonna take an athlete of that caliber to change opinions and trends of losing the mask at the collegiate level.

 

[MsDinosaur]

I guess that would be easy for Stacy Nuveman to say, she wore a catchers mask all of her career. Geez.

As a catcher's Mom, I have to admit, it is reassuring to see my kid all geared up, even though I know it's a dangerous position and catchers can still get hurt despite the gear. If she pitched though, I would insist on the mask.

I wonder how Stacey will feel when her children start to play? Of course as far as I know, she only has the one boy and the boys don't even wear masks on their batting helmets yet. :-O

I saw a young one bash himself but good Monday evening at DD's skills clinic. He was at a wrist-strength station flipping a length of metal pipe, I'm guessing he probably lost focus, because he slammed the pipe into his face. His helmet, sans faceguard, was on, but did him no good at all.

 

[JulieC]

We require our entire team to wear face masks - infield and outfield. We started when the girls were 10U and very likely to make mistakes fielding. Because of the masks, they were fearless and didn't shy away from the ball as much. We are in our 2nd year of 12U and were considering relaxing the requirement. Two weeks ago, we did our first outfield practice since winter. I had 3 girls catch a ball with their mask. In every case, they came up and were playing in 10 seconds. Without the mask, they each would have lost a week.

I can't see why facemasks aren't required equipment for our girls. It is so easy.